Officials to enforce travel bans

JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Immigration has announced that the passports of every person who is banned from traveling abroad will be taken and temporarily held by the immigration office that issued the document.

The new policy is intended to prevent criminal suspects who have been slapped with travel bans from fleeing the country, Director of Immigration Control and Measures Mohammad Indra said in a media release on Thursday.

The ministerial decree has been effective since July 18, 2001.

The director general of immigration or appointed officials can take and temporarily hold the passports of people who are not allowed to leave the country, the release said.

Indra said the director general of immigration or appointed officials would ask the heads of immigration offices to hold the passports of anyone placed on the travel ban list.

The passports will be taken no later than 48 hours after the issuance of the travel ban, he said.

If a passport holder refuses to submit his or her passport, the Directorate General of Immigration will revoke the passport, making it invalid, he said.

People whose passports are being held or are no longer valid can reclaim their passports or receive new ones only upon the approval of the director general of immigration and after their travel bans have expired, Indra said. (sdt)